So let’s try this again – since I don’t see a regular Wednesday weekly, I’ll try and fill that gap by posting something writer-ish, be it about an author, about my or your writing, or about words and structure and all that good stuff. Maybe I’ll turn it into an “official” weekly by creating a button and posing a specific goal, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves, hm?

Yesterday, Brandon Sanderson posted on his blog that he’s accepted an invitation to run a workshop at a writing conference in Pasadena in March. I was thinking, “Hey cool, I should check that out, I’ve got friends down there, it’d be a nice little getaway.” ….. To the “early bird special” tune of $599. Hmm, not so accessible for this kid, with all the travel plans I’ve got for the next few months.

So, that got me to thinking – what would I pay six hundred bucks for, in terms of a writing workshop? Who would I want to be there presenting, what would I want to take away from it, what sort of networking would I hope to do? Further, forget the price tag – what would my dream writers’ conference consist of in terms of the above?

After some thought, I’ve decided that while I’d love to meet a writer whose work I admire greatly and whose style and voice bears similarities to my own, I don’t want my writing to mimic theirs – I’d sooner learn from someone who writes very differently from how I do, so I’m adding to my skill set rather than simply being validated in my own style.

As far as networking, I don’t see myself collaborating on a fiction work, but I’d love to meet others who might have an interest in the same sorts of anthologies, histories, and multi-media collections as I have. I’d also hope to connect with down-to-earth people from the publishing world who could provide realistic and effective advice for pitching my work. Finally, I’d hope to connect with someone with similar writing goals to my own – frequency, time dedicated, etc. – so we could be accountable to one another and encourage each other when we hit stumbling blocks.

Finally, I’d really like to take away a new perspective of some kind, be it about style, content, or end goal, as well as a rejuvenated love for the craft.

How about you? What do you think a writing conference should be able to offer, or what have you gained from attending them in the past?

Okay, maybe “genius” is stretching it a bit. Errrr, more than a bit. But I digress. Tonight, I am sharing with you my utter ridiculousness, paired with my unfailing resourcefulness – allow me to present Exhibit A:

Part of me is cringing at the idea of using the books  (and shelves, which haven’t yet been re-mounted) to support and weigh down the kitty tower as the wood glue dries, but another part finds it hilarious and perfectly fitting. I really don’t own anything else heavy and versatile enough, and clamps wouldn’t work anyway because of the carving. So, I consider it justifiable.

‘Fess up, my friends – what alternate uses have your books been put to around the house? Tippy table fixes, pressed flower receptacles, doorstops?

Yes folks, I dropped the ball again – and again it was due to a series of huge changes in my life. I’ve kind of come to the point where I’ve thrown it out to the universe and said, “I get it, you’re bigger than me, you win!” and am letting things happen instead of trying to make things happen… And it’s actually working quite nicely so far.

I’ve recently moved *back* into the apartment I lived in until October – 34 boxes of books alone! – and am attempting, once again, to settle into a “new” environment. Thankfully, I have two lovely new roommates, and have had the support of my best friends and my incredible girlfriend throughout it all.

I missed my 75 book goal by five books in 2009. I also had probably four months where I was barely reading at all, so I’m not too disappointed, really. I participated in my first readathon, which will definitely be a regular event, read some books that were completely outside of my typical genres, and maintained my 4.0 (though I did get an Incomplete for one class, which thankfully doesn’t appear to have affected my cumulative/overall GPA; I’d have taken the class anyway, so I guess no harm done but the cost).

My goal for the start of 2010, as it relates to books and reading, is not to sweat it. I felt guilty every time I looked at the bookmark for this page, every time I received a notification that another spam comment had been left, every time I didn’t unpack a box of books. I don’t need to feel guilty – this is supposed to be FUN! It’s a HOBBY! It makes me HAPPY! So being miserable about it is simply out of the question.

I’m going to get back to work on the unpacking and LibraryThing tagging/collectioning my books, separating the titles I still own from the titles my ex now has and asking the LT staff to divide our accounts, and cleaning up my library, both physical and online, in general. In the meantime, I’m re-reading Sarah Waters’s Tipping the Velvet, which I loaned to my butch and she returned to me when I saw her at the beginning of December. I’ve not read Waters in some time (or maybe it just feels that way – did I read Fingersmith in 2009??? I may have), and I wanted something comforting, but am not ready for my HP series read yet – primarily because I no longer own the entire series. Le sigh.

ANYWAY – there’s my story, what’s yours? Whatcha got good going on in your bloggish world, your readerish world, your bookish world?